I pulled into my driveway and I cut the engine. I looked up at the modest looking white house on the corner of a quiet street. It wasn't as nice was I would have liked when I bought it, but it kept a roof over my, Rose's, and Sophia's heads.
I got out of my beat up pickup truck and went inside. I heard Rose talk baby talk to our three-year-old in the kitchen. Must be time for Sophia to eat. It was almost six and soon it was bath time and then bed.
I walked into the kitchen and stopped in the doorway. Rose was sitting in a chair with Sophia in front of her. Mashed apples were everywhere on both of my girls and they couldn't stop smiling. I felt the smile creep on my face as I watched the scene.
I looked to the left and saw the fridge door. It was covered in pictures of us. There were pictures from before Rose and I graduated from the Academy and there were newer once of the three of us. My favorite was the one where Rose is on the swing seat at the local park with Sophia in her arms. They were laughing and smiling. It was perfect.
A couples years of up all night and
A few thousand diapers later
That mistake he thought he made
Covers up the refrigerator
Oh yeah, he loves that little girl
"Dimitri," Rose laughed, "help me please." She held up a messy toddler and I moved to help take off her onesie. In the process, I ended up getting apple all over my guardian shirt. This made Rose laugh even harder.
I put the clothes in the laundry room as Rose went to the bathroom and gave Sophia her bath. I heard them giggle and splash around in the water.
My daughter was not like normal babies. She was a dhampir like Rose and I and she was going to be the best fighter there ever was, I could tell. She had dark brown curls that bounced when she moved and her Grandma Janine's blue eyes. Her tanned skin matched mine and Rose's perfectly. My daughter was perfect, or maybe I was just biased.
Rose called me and I found them in the nursery. Rose had Sophia dressed and ready for bed. I took my daughter out of her mum's arms and held her close to me. I took her into the living room and sat down with her in my lap. I found a book that I knew Sophia loved and I read to her in Russian while Rose straightened up the house. She always did this when I read to Sophia. I think it was because she loved the Russian sounds.
Mamma's waiting to tuck her in
As she fumbles up those stairs
She smiles back at him
Draggin that teddy bear, sleep tight
Blue eyes and bouncing curls
"Okay Soph," I announced after the book was read, "time for bed, Sweetie."
She pouted before climbing down off my lap and running to her room. Halfway there, she turned around to me and smiled. She waved at me before grabbing her teddy bear that my mother made for her by the nose.
"Night night, Daddy!" she called.
"Night Baby Girl," I replied.
I got up and walked slowly behind her to make sure that she didn't fall and hurt herself between the living room and Rose who was waiting be Sophia's bed. I watched my daughter waddle over to her mother and share another laugh. I swear I have never met two people that could laugh more than they did. Nor did I know two people that I could love more than them. They were my everything.
He smiles
There goes my life
There goes my future, my everything
I love you Daddy goodnight
There goes my life
